CRETE - FITNESS RETREAT

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When it comes to travelling, for me one of the most important things is the location and the activities at my destination.

Recently I had the chance to experience the HHH Fitness Retreat located on the beautiful Greek island of CRETE.

I wanted to give you a bit more of an idea of what the retreat is all about. Personally, it was a mini vacation away from the city, full of health and fitness activities alongside a group of like minded people. If fitness and a healthy lifestyle is your thing, then it's the perfect escape!

A month before the retreat, each person is given a food plan. This helps to eliminate any problem areas within your diet and guides you so you're on track for the 5 day retreat. I really recommend following this in order to get the best results.

On my arrival in Crete, I was greeted with my first healthy snack for the journey to the hotel which took around one hour.The hotel is located on the beach with its own pool and although it's a place for fitness, it was also the perfect place to unwind from the hectic city life that I'm used to in London.

So, the general itinerary for the week consists of starting the day early in the morning. Usually this is by taking part in a yoga class by the beach followed by a healthy and delicious breakfast. This was the perfect fuel to start the day ahead.

As soon as we'd finished breakfast, it was on to the first activity which was usually something pretty strenuous, like a hike or cycle through the forest to the top of the mountains. Despite the long distance, which can sound quite daunting at first, the views en route made it completely worth while and it really was a lot of fun doing it with the team - it was also an ideal way to see Crete too!

By lunch time, we'd all head back to the hotel for a delicious meal cooked by our private chef, Alan. You simply cannot beat his food as you'll see in some of my photos!

After lunch there were a range of options as to how to spend your afternoon. This included relaxing by the pool or beach, having a private personal training session for those that really wanted to push themselves or even going for a massage in the hotel (which I'd highly recommend)!

At around 6pm, when the sun isn't quite so hot, there is a group training session provided by a few of the top trainers from the UK and when I say “top”, I really do mean it. They're professionals who train some of the world's best athletes, from the likes of Rio Ferdinand, the famous footballer. Coming from an athlete's background myself, I must admit that I really enjoyed this part of the day.

I found that it was very well structured and organised which I think most of the team would agree.

After the group training finished, we all had the choice to continue with a yoga class which relaxes your body to the maximum or to finish for the day. I usually opted for the yoga as it was a great way to unwind before dinner.

Dinner was served around 8-8.30pm every night. By this time everyone was absolutely starving after a great day so it always went down a treat. I have been to many healthy eating & lifestyle places in my life but all I can say is that I take my hat off to Alan, the chef, and his talent to create some phenomenal healthy dishes as they were just on another level. Not only was it just the taste but also the presentation as well which always makes a difference to me personally. I feel that a well presented dish always makes it a bit more special and I really appreciated his attention to detail. I always say every detail matters!

After dinner is when we got to enjoy a bit of free time. This gave everybody the chance to unwind after a long but fantastic day. I'd usually go and watch the sunset from the beach as this really relaxed me after a whole day of physical activity. It also helped me to prepare for the next day.

After the week I felt energised and positive! Here are some of my pictures that I feel sum up the retreat perfectly. Enjoy...

For those who are interested in taking part at any of the retreats offered by HHH Retreats, more details can be found on www.hhh-healthretreats.com

The hotel, food, activities and location make it an outstanding place that I'd definitely visit again!